Nuisance suit against `maternity hotel' operators

CHINO HILLS, Calif. 
A public nuisance lawsuit has been filed against the operators of a so-called "maternity hotel" where Chinese mothers pay to give birth so their children will be U.S. citizens.

Officials told residents at a Tuesday night Chino Hills City Council meeting that they were confident the operation will be shut down.

The maternity hotel in San Bernardino County is operated out of a home in an upscale residential neighborhood about 25 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles. A website that city officials believe is tied to the hotel says it charges more than $10,000 for its services.

The Los Angeles Times (
http://lat.ms/U60Ean
) says Chino Hills officials have also served the property owner with cease and desist orders for operating a business in a residential zone and making improvements to the house without a permit.